Pressing implement



, Y 1,516,923 A L. HOFFMAN 1 PRESSING IMPLEMENT V Filed April 24 1920 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 w, FD! su 1 n D s 2 w T 9 Nmin. AE MH Fm 1 WGH Hm n x w .l-M n PF Ml, w @P 5, 2 v. o N

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erably interposed between the plate 13; and body 10. rlhe handle 15 of the device is sesured to a bent strip 16 fastened by lscrewsV i Ui Patented Nov. 2.5, 1924-.

IUNITED STATES IJOUIS PATENT. COFFICE.

HOFFMAN, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

STEAM PRESSING IRON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

rnnssING IMPLEMENT. y

Application fed April 24, 192D. Serial No. 376,184.

My invention relates to a flat iron or tail-v ors goose, of the self heated moistening type; and the principal objects of the invention are: To provide an iron having a duct or ducts in vthe body of the implement through which the moisteni'ng fluid is passed for the purpose of generating into steam,

when water is the fluid supplied to the iron,

or for superheating the steam, when steam is supplied thereto; and to provide other improvements in the details of construction of implements of this character as will hereinafter appear.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments, in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a gas heated tailors goose of the inoistening type, certain lpartsof the implement being shown in elevation..

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa detail sectional view of the burner taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Figrl, illustrating an electrically heated flat iron of the moistening type provided with a heat insulatingshieldabove referred to.. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the implement, and i Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 10-10 of Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

AReferring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 desig- 'nates the bodyof thc pressing -implementwhich is preferably composed of aluminum alloyed with sufficient copper to make it non-porous. The-upper surface ofthe body 10 is formed with a pair of bosses 11 to which is secured by` screws 12a plate 13, a body of insulating material 14 being pref- 17 to the plate 13. The body is formed with a recess 18 in which is arranged a gas .burner consisting of an inlet section 19 and a `noz- '/Jle section 20 connected but spacedv apart by webs 21 and having aligning fuel ducts 22,

23, the latter being tapered at 24 to its discharge outlet 25V. IThe burner is held in place by means" of ia screw 26 which passes through a lug 27 formed on the inlet end of the burner and engages the body of the pressing implement. The burner is provided with a nipple 28 for a iexible hose 29 which supplies the burner with Amixed airand gas. 80 Yis a door hinged at 31 to the back of the body bf thevixnplement which closes the recess lin whichA the burner is located. 32 represents a small port for escape of products of combustion. I have found by experience that a burner so constructed heats the implement very edectively. In the base Vportion 33 of the body is arranged a tubular member 34 extending lengthwise of the implement to which are preferably fixed transverse tubular members 35. The ressing face 36 of the implement is forme with a plurality of -perforations 37 which extend through to theinterior of the tubular members 34, l35. Embedded in the body of the iron above the tubular structure 34,35 is a pipe coil 38,one endof which 39, extends through the top of the body, and the other end, 40, of which is'tapped into the tubul'a-r member 34. The pipe coil, 38-and the tubular structure 34, 35 are preferably made `of copper. They provide together the duct for the inoistening fluid which (whether introduced into the implement as steam or water) is injected against the goods through perforations 37 in the pressing face, in the form of more orA less highly superheated steam. The moistening Huid' is supplied to the implement through a pipe 41 which is connected with a valve casing 42 fastened by meansof a union 43 to the end 39 ofthe pipe coil 38. rlhe inflow of moistening Huid is controlled by a valve 44 threaded through a plug 45 fixed in the valve casing and provided with a lever 46 having a thumb piece 47, the valve casing beingmade tight by a packing 48 held in place by a gland 49.

Some difficulty has been experienced in providing a satisfactory moistening or steaminggiron which may be. supplied with water. instead of steam as a fluid supply will be. apparent. The use of water, necessitating its generation into steamwithn lthe imple- The convenience of using water ment, involves certain diiiiculties. Tfhe steam generating duct must be vof comparatively ysmall cross sectional area in order that suliicient pressure be created to discharge the steam through the minute perfo. erations in the vpressing face, these perforations being, as a matter of fact, exaggerated -in size in the drawing.' The duct must be of considerable length and sodisposed as to be thekl'goods.

heated to the `maximum lthroughout its length in order 4that the vsteam when generated should be not only kept dry but also superheated.

The eliiciency of theimplem'ent depends upon the capacity 'of the steam to penetrate A Ordinarily but a small amount of moisture is required. Any excess involves just so much more time and labor in its evaporation, andthe higher the temperature of the steaminjected into the goods the easier its evaporationl will be.` It is not a simple matter, however, to form by coi-ing a ducto the proper length and cross sec-` tional area and so disposed that all parts thereof will be directly exposed to the heat' from the burner or other device used for heating the implement. If the body of the implement be made of cast iron, as is usual,

the cold water, if supplied continuously.

in considerable quantities, cools the surfaces with which it comes into Contact and the generation of steam at the pressure required becomes impossible.

which. has a relatively highv coefficient of thermal conductivity, and by Jforming the steam generating 4duct of a tubular structure, also made of, a metal having a high In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown lan elec-V tricall `heated flat iron (which may be manu actured substantially 4in accordance with the method just described)V which is provided with' a heat insulating shield that covers practically, the entire bodyof the implement except the base portion "'tliereot'. -This insulating device might beused in connection. with a gas heated implement but it is of particular utility in connection-with an electrically heated device because where electricity is used for heating it is impor-` tant to utilize to the 'fullest extent all' of y portion 77.

These difficulties have I solved by forming the body Aof the implement of somemetal, such as aluminum,.

the heat generated, both for reasons of keeping the pressing face of the flat 'iron up to the requisite temperature. In the drawing 71 designates the body of the implement, 7 2 the electrical heating unitsnugy fitting into a\ recess formed in the body, and 73 the tubular structure which provides the moisture duet. 74 is a cap piece which is fastened to the back of the iron by screws 75 and holds the heating unit in place. 76 is a hood preferably made of metal which covers over substantially all of the body of the iiat iron except its base Between this hood and the body is arranged insulating material 78, preferably asbestos.

I claim:

1. A pressing implement of the moistening type comprising an integral body of metal "formed with a recessfor a heating element and provided with a circulation duct for the moistening iuid formed in part ci a pipe coil about the several turns of which coil the body of metal is cast with the coil surrounding the recess, the pressing face of the implement having perforations communicating with the duct for the discharge of the moistening -fluid from the duct.

2. A pressing implement of the moistening type comprising an integral body of metal formed` with a recess for a heating element and having c ast therein a pipe coil surrounding said recess, a longitudinal tubular element connected with said pipe coil, and a transverse tubular element connected with the longitudinal tubular element which form together the circulation duct, the pressing face of said implement and portions of saidvtubular elements having comy lnunicating perforations for discharge of the moistening fluidl from said duct.

3. A1 pressing' implement of the moistening type comprising a pipe, a plurality ot lpieces of pipe tapped into the sides olf said first-named pipe, a pipe coil above said first-named'pipe and communicating therewith, albody of metal cast about said pipes and having a smooth pressing lsurface at its lower face, and means for' causing' steam to circulate through said system of piping, said body ofametal and said piping having communicating openings `for discharge of steam at a plurality of points along the pressing face. LOUIS HOFFMAN. 

